Treyarch shipped Black Ops III in November 2015 with three games in one box: a four player co-op campaign, a Specialist driven multiplayer suite, and the Zombies arc that opens in Shadows of Evil. Movement is the through line, because thrust jumps, wall runs and power slides all stay available while you fire and reload. A decade later the PC version still fills lobbies, mostly for Zombies and the Workshop custom maps that came with the mod tools.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary weapons | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your role's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary weapons | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Nuk3town
Key resources: Fast scorestreak chains, quick weapon camo grinding Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Man-O-War upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Combine
Key resources: Movement practice, balanced lane control Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Man-O-War upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Hunted
Key resources: Mixed range gunfights, flank route practice Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Man-O-War upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Shadows of Evil
Key resources: Apothicon Servant, Pack-a-Punch access, Beast Mode shortcuts Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for KN-44 max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Der Eisendrache
Key resources: Ragnarok DG-4, four upgraded bows, main Easter egg Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for KN-44 max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Nuk3town to Combine)
- Upgrade your starting weapons to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Man-O-War once accessible
Mid Game (Hunted)
- Push Man-O-War to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for KN-44
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Shadows of Evil to Der Eisendrache)
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple weapons: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Hunted farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Thrust jumping paints a red dot on the enemy minimap unless you run Blast Suppressor. On Search and Destroy either take the perk or stay grounded when you approach a bomb site, because a single jump tells the whole enemy team where you are.
- Farm Hunted during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Call of Duty: Black Ops III Guides
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Call of Duty: Black Ops III Overview
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Best Builds
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Tier List
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Walkthrough
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Beginner's Guide
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Tips & Tricks
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Weapons Guide
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Combat Guide
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Boss Guide
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Maps & Locations
- Call of Duty: Black Ops III Classes & Characters
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